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Longs Drugs Challenge Returns October 9 through 12, 2008 Danville, California • Blackhawk CC |
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 2007 Champion Suzann Pettersen |
PAST CHAMPIONS & HISTORY
(click on year for tournament story)
Tournament History Raycom Sports hosts this event at the Blackhawk Country Club in Danville, California. The 6,212-yard, par-72 course will be the backdrop as the top LPGA players take aim over this four-round event. Last Year, Suzann Pettersen (75-65-64-73=277) fought off Lorena Ochoa (69-70-67-71=277) in a playoff after Ochoa overcoming a two-stroke deficit entering the final round with a 1-under-par 71 on Sunday afternoon. Pettersen outlasted the Rolex Rankings number one player in a two-hole, sudden-death playoff to claim her third victory on the LPGA Tour this year. In 2006, Karrie Webb held off a hard-charging Annika Sorenstam with a clutch two-foot par putt on #18 to clinch a one-stroke win. Webb, who finished with a final round 70, pared the last five holes as Sorenstam, who playing in the group ahead of her, fired a final round 65. In 2005, Nicole Perrot fired an even par 71 in her final round to become the first Chilean-born player to win an LPGA Tour event. Her final score of 14-under 270 was one stroke ahead of Hee-Won Han, who had won the previous week in Los Angeles. In 2004, Christina Kim sunk a birdie putt on hole 17to secure her first LPGA victory in front of family and friends. Kim, who is from San Jose, posted a 18-under 266 en route to the win, holding off LPGA Hall of Famers Webb and Juli Inkster. Webb, who was paired with Kim in the final round, missed a birdie putt from eight feet on the 18th green to force a playoff. Kim posted a final round 65 to win by one over Webb and two over Inkster, who was the second round leader. In 2003, Helen Alfredsson shot a 2-under 70 on Sunday and picked up her first victory since 1998 after Pat Hurst's double bogey on the final hole. She made an 18-inch par putt on the 18th hole to tie a tournament record with a 13-under 275 and defeat Hurst, Grace Park, Rachel Hetherington, Se Ri Pak and Yong Yeon Lee by one stroke. 2002 saw Cristie Kerr bring home her first LPGA title with an eight-under-par 280 (66-72-67-75). The six-year Tour veteran entered the final round with a five stroke lead over Jane Crafter and went on to a wire-to-wire finish over 2001 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Hee-Won Han, who finished one stroke back at 281 (74-70-67-70). In 2001, Se Ri Pak defeated the weather, and Annika Sorenstam, who was gunning for a fifth straight win on Tour. The event was shortened to 54 holes after inclement weather forced the cancellation of Friday’s round. Pak carded 66-71-71 to finish at 208 (–8), two strokes ahead of Laura Diaz. In the final round, Pak played the back nine strong with back-to-back birdies on holes 16 and 17, which took her to eight-under-par, just as her coleader Diaz dropped to six-under-par after 18. In 2000, Juli Inkster successfully defended her title with a tournament-record final score of 13-under 275. The Hall of Famer closed with an even-par 72 in windy conditions for a five-stroke victory over Brandie Burton. Only eight players finished the tournament under par. In 1999, Juli Inkster fired a final-round 70 on Easter Sunday to preserve a four-stroke victory. She recorded rounds of 69-67-74-70 for a -8, 280. With wind gusts up to 35 mph during the tournament, Inkster not only battled the other LPGA professionals but the weather as well. She recorded five birdies in the final round, including three in a row, to offset three bogeys and secure the win. In 1998, Donna Andrews birdied three of the final five holes to win the tournament. Andrews, who began the final day tied for the lead with Sweden's Carin Koch and played with her in the final twosome, shot a 3-under-par 69 for her fourth straight sub-par round. She finished with a 72-hole total of 10-under 278. In 1997, Annika Sorenstam parred the second hole of a playoff with Pamela Kometani to win. Both players carded pars at the first playoff hole, the par-4 18th, before moving to the par-3 13th, where Kometani bogeyed and Sorenstam parred for her third win of the season. Both players completed 72 holes in 3-under 285. In the playoff at the 13th, Sorenstam knocked her tee shot on the green and her birdie attempt stopped six inches from the cup before she tapped in for par. Kometani's tee shot missed the green. She chipped within two feet but missed the par putt. In 1996, Kelly Robbins sank a 20-foot putt to birdie the fifth playoff hole against Val Skinner to win the inaugural Twelve Bridges LPGA Classic. Robbins fired a final-round 64 and Skinner carded a 6-under-par 65 to force the playoff, which started on the 18th hole and alternated with the first hole, both of which are par-4s. The pair finished at 11-under 273. Skinner missed a seven-foot putt on the fourth playoff hole that could have clinched the tournament. They parred the first two extra holes and each bogeyed the third before another par on the fourth. Robbins holed her 20-footer and Skinner missed a chance to tie with a putt from the fringe. Her 64 matched Amy Fruhwirth's course record round from earlier in the day. |
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